Proprietors Reserve Wine Bar

My husband and I enjoy meeting our best friend at his local neighborhood reserve wine bar. Teresa is amazing company and not to shabby at suggestions for wine… No she is amazing at that as well. Thank you for the open arms and amazing spread of trays, wine and great music!

i attended a wine dinner event at proprietors and wasn’t sure i would love it, i had concerns because its tiny and there is no kitchen.
Turns out they share a kitchen with Rosies next door and although the seating is very close and tight, the food was delicious and everyone was very nice.
You can purchase advanced tickets, i think the lady who puts it together is Erin.
Well worth the cost and be sure to take home a bacon jam for use on toast or with eggs or with cheese, i am sorry we didn’t purchase two jars.

I just discovered this place recently and finally had a chance to go. It’s such a cute, intimate spot with a really great selection of wines. I discovered a new Zinfandel that I absolutely loved so that was a big plus for me. The bacon wrapped shrimp skewers are so delicious you will not want to share them. I would love to try one of the wine pairing dinners here.

Great selection of wine, yummy options of food and a great proprietor! We ducked in here on our way home from Kensington and were very pleasantly surprised. Gilbert is wonderful to talk to and the wine bar is intimate and fun! For having the same kitchen as Rosie O’Grady’s, the food is completely delicious! We will definitely be back for happy hours, winemaker dinners and anytime in between!

This is a cute, Intimate place to have a glass of wine with a friend or two. It’s very small so I wouldn’t recommend for big groups. There was a good crowd and good music on the night that I went. Tried their chicken Marsala which was a little too salty for my taste. My friend had the shrimp chile rellenos and they were very good.

Came in. Greeting was nice as was bartender. She gave us a free tasting. So far so good.
Ordered a $ 9 cab and got literally 6oz of wine. Their pours are tiny. So many other options in SD, why overpay for a half glass of wine?

Great local wine bar! Love just walking down and saying hello to Gilbert! Great social environment in a great neighborhood

This is a gem of a little neighborhood wine bar. I completely agree with the other reviewers that make the comparison to Cheers. When I went in, the bartender was friendly & chatting with his regular patrons, and I felt welcomed into their little wine bar family. You’ve got to be social to appreciate this place.
It’s small, but I actually would recommend Proprietor’s for an adventurous date night in Normal Heights.

We just happened to find this place accidentally. We were headed to Blind Lady Ale House which just happened to be closed.
This is a cute little place, very tiny, with a superb wine list. I, however, was craving a beer since it was so hot outside and was pleasantly surprised to find quite a decent selection of drafts.
I had a Delirium Tremens for 7 bucks, which the bartender poured into a full pint. Fine by me! I’m used to a small tulip glass.
My fiancé had a few different varietals of red which were a healthy pour.
Locals were friendly and outgoing, décor was very nice, the drinks were fairly priced and the bartender was a sweetheart. We will definitely be back.
I’d like to try some food as they had a nice menu.

I’ve attended two fantastic 6-​course wine pairing dinners here and I can’t wait to go back! Erin Sealy is not only a great hostess, but she also creates the exotic menu for every wine pairing dinner! The wine is always a great match, and the food is divine! These meals are a great deal at $ 50 per person, and sometimes they’re offered at half price.
Some of the highlights of my latest dinner include: Spaghetti Squash Nest with hot smoked salmon, bruschetta, caramelized onion and crimini mushrooms paired with a 2011 Hess Select Pinot Noir, and Slow Roasted (18 hours) Pork Taco with portobello, gorgonzola cream, scallions, basil, and shaved brussel sprouts paired with a 2011 Pine Ridge Cabernet. My mouth is watering just thinking about this meal!
Proprietors Reserve is very small and cozy, which makes these dinners seem like more of a family gathering than a meal with strangers. I love the rustic décor, and the wall covered in wine bottles that’s behind the bar is mesmerizing! Both the wine and each course are explained in detail before they’re presented, and there are always interesting tidbits of info about the wineries and food.
This is the perfect setting for a cozy date, and anyone who takes a friend will certainly earn kudos as well as lots of brownie points!

Great, intimate atmosphere.
Knowledgeable tenders, Gilbert and Rudy.
Shares an amazing back kitchen with Rosie’s.
One of our favorite spots.

I really feel like if I went to Proprietors more often, this would be a sure 5 star rating. Alas, I have only been here twice, and once was on a first date with my lovely girlfriend — so, I should probably give this place a five star rating just for that!
To be honest, I’d like to give this place 4.5 stars, at least right now. The only reason why I knock down even half a star is because this place is very small, and I feel like you have to be ready to socialize, just in case, with people nearby, even including the bartender. There is definitely a charm in that, it is just that sometimes I don’t always want to socialize! Maybe a silly reason to knock off a star, but I guess I feel that this place may not be the most versatile of places for all moods.
That all said, while this place is small, it is very inviting. Not only that, both times I have come here, the other patrons and the bartender were extremely friendly. You could be an expert in wine and be happy here, or a novice (me) and you would be embraced and guided gently. And maybe I should ease up on my lack of versatility stance, because they DO have beer as well. Not a gigantic beer selection, but still, they have it. In addition, I remember being told that you could order food here from the Rosie O’Grady’s menu (the bar that is connected to Proprietors, albeit by a thick wall) which, if I am remembering this correctly, is a huge plus. I hope I am correct on that.
Four stars is certainly accurate though because I am a fan. I’m not sure if it is «as good as it gets»…yet. I’d very much like to find out, however. And that will require more visits which I embrace, and I would also embrace upping my rating to a full-​fledged five stars, because I can see this place deserving it.

Intimate and darling atmosphere. I came here to see my friend Bridget play her sweet music. It is a small spot and I was standing. so I ended up spending part of the evening on the front steps enjoying the fresh air and the music. It was lovely and the way the counter wraps around the whole place really helped me enjoy my wine inside without impeding my easy access to stepping right back outside again.. . since the ledge goes right up to the door. Ahh, the little things.. .
I hear the food is great too but haven’t tried it yet. will save the final star for the food assessment :)

We went to a Wine Tasting event here the other night and had a fantastic time. The food pairings were outstanding and the wines sampled were well worth buying a couple of bottles. This was a special event we found through Groupon and the bar was closed to regular business for the 20 or so of us.
The wines we sampled were from Olson Ogden and one of the owners had come down to tell us about his wines, which was a great treat! So, not only did we get to hang with the winery owner, we also got had the owner of the Propietors Reserve on hand plus the chef (Erin) telling us why she chose certain dishes and put them together to compliment the wines.
Really, it just makes for a fantastic evening when you have that kind of interaction in an intimate little venue like this.
Parking is a challenge, so carpool if you are going with friends.
Salute!

Wine was good, guy behind the bar was nice, the food was OK. The place is really small (it used to be the stock room for the business its attached to) but it has charm.

Such a cute lil tiny bar, tucked away behind Rosy O Gradys!
I really enjoyed this place, you can also order food.
Great wine and the gentleman at the wine counter was pretty awesome.
Its small in there and you may have a hard time with parking but
an awesome business on adams for us locals.

As other reviewers said, it is small, but great. Sometimes when I am at the Blind Lady Ale House around the corner and want a really good glass of wine, I stop in here for a bit. Gilbert is very nice and incredibly knowledgeable. His wine assortment is perfect. I have had a better experience here and tasted better wines then when we went to Napa. Every variety I love, and some I have never tasted, reside in one place.
Not only are the wines and owner/​bartender great, but the patrons as well. I have been here many times and not once have I sat next to someone I did not enjoy talking to.
If you are a wine connoisseur, a casual wine drinker, or someone who wants to learn more about it, I would encourage you to visit.

I love this place. It’s a cute little neighborhood wine bar tucked away behind Rosie O’Grady’s Irish Pub. The selection is nice and varied, tilted more on the California wines, with some good options from other areas of the globe, too. They usually carry one of my favorite vitners, Jacuzzi Winery, which is a little hidden gem in my opinion.
The wine, the service, the quaint atmosphere will keep me coming back for more.

They have a sign on the wall that reads «Good Food, Good Wine, Good Friends» and this seems to be right on the money.
I never imagined a wine bar literally being a hole in the wall, but this place is quaint, intimate and dare I say… romantic? The walls have shelves stacked with bottles and the chalkboard has the day’s specials legibly written.
It may be small but its wine list is extensive! The owner is great at making suggestions and is a witty guy.
Pretty much off the beaten track from all the beer places on Adams. Feel free to check it out if you’re down for a change of scenery.

This wine bar is definitely small, just like what the other reviews say. It’s like the size of a typical house kitchen with dining table so I don’t recommend coming here in groups, which is what I did for a surprise birthday. (The birthday girl lived right down the street though & this was her favorite wine bar.) We were a party of 9 and we were literally squished standing around the bar area and by the door because there was already another group sitting at the two tables and people at the bar.
I’ve only been here twice, and ironically, my first time was with 2 other friends and we were the only ones there. Each time I’ve ordered their delicious mixed cheese plate w/​fruit, bread & crackers. My favorite is probably the goat cheese w/​fig… but after drinking some wine, it seems to enhance all the different flavors and every cheese tastes scrumptious in its own way. They do have entrée specials written on a chalkboard wall, but you also have the option of ordering Mexican/​American food from Rosie O’Grady’s, the main pub next door.
For a tiny wine bar, Proprietors sure offers a lot of wines by the glass. I especially love how their wine menu includes a mini description of each wine (notes/​hints of flavors, dryness, etc). It helps make selecting a wine easier, especially for those who are not wine connoisseurs. I was happy that they carried one of my favorites, the MacMurray Ranch pinot noir. However, the Martin Ray Santa Barbara pinot noir that the bartender recommended for us during my second visit has quickly become a new favorite. We also tried an Australian Shiraz/​Granache called the Razor’s Edge, which was pretty good too. (I think I prefer reds over whites.) Also, if you’re (with) someone who’s not a big wine drinker, they also have a good selection of beer, or you can get a shots & mixed drinks from the pub next door. (We brought back shots for the birthday girl.)
Parking is not always easy to find, which is normal since this IS Normal Heights, where residential areas surround all the businesses. I would suggest coming in the afternoon if you want to have a seat before happy hour starts at 4:30. As for customer service, it was decent. The bartender recommended good wines, and he refilled my glass for me every time.
Oh I forgot to mention that they play music in there, and each time I went I think it was through an ipod. Hearing a random mix of old school songs made my experience at Proprietors more enjoyable. I will surely be back to try their other wines and tapas.